Here is just a brief update on the weight issue. I removed the clothing stuff sack to save a few extra ounces. With the pack cover I won't need the additional water protection. Also, though it compressed my clothing into a smaller space, without it I am free to put articles of clothing in different pouches or to cram them wherever they fit. On the topic of clothing, I also switched one of the pairs of wool socks for a pair of running socks. The idea is to hike in the running socks and have the warmer socks ready for camp.
The new total pack weight is 24.2 pounds, so I managed to shave off 1.6 pounds. And again, this is with the ice axe and the bear canister, plus all the clothes i will be wearing. With that in mind i am feeling a bit better about my base weight.
